Foldable tent

ABSTRACT

Tent having a folding supporting framework and a tent cloth forming a roof portion. The supporting framework has stays, together with a clamping device, the stays leading down to the base corners of the tent and being hinged to a central member which, when the tent is erected, supports the center of the roof. The stays have bottom sections which can be folded outwards into an extended position in line with respective upper stay sections. The tent may have a closable entrance.

United States Patent [191 Oberhaus Apr. 1, 1975 1 FOLDABLE TENT [75]Inventor: Wilhelm Oberhaus,Osnabruck,

Germany [73] Assignee: Heinrich Zangenberg GmbH & Co.,

Osnabruck, Germany 221 Filed: Aug. 8, 1973 21 App1,No.:386,559

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 9, 1972 Germany 2239114 [52]US. Cl 135/2, 135/4 R, 135/14 V [51] Int. Cl. A45f l/04 [58] Field ofSearch 135/2, 3 C, 4 R, 4 B, 5 E

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1.449894 3/1923 Dial 135/22.864.389 12/1958 Smith ct al 135/2 2,953,145 9/1960 Moss et a1 135/23,738,378 6/1973 Williams 135/2 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 442,98712/1948 ltaly 135/2 1,540,516 8/1968 France 135/2 Primary Examiner-PaulR. Gilliam Assistant E.raminer-David H. Corbin [57] ABSTRACT Tent havinga folding supporting framework and a tent cloth forming a roof portion.The supporting framework has stays, together with a clamping device, thestays leading down to the base corners of the tent and being hinged to acentral member which, when the tent is erected, supports the center ofthe roof. The stays have bottom sections which can be folded outwardsinto an extended position in line with respective upper stay sections.The tent may have a closable entrance.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FOLDABLE TENT The present invention relatesto a tent having a folding supporting framework and a tent cloth forminga roof portion. The supporting framework has stays, to gether with aclamping device, which lead down to the base corners of the tent and arearticulated to a central member which, when the tent is erected,supports the center of the roof. The stays have bottom sections whichcan be folded outwards into an extended position in line with respectiveupper stay sections. The tent may have a closable entrance.

In a well-known tent of this kind, the supporting framework consists offour stays made up of three sections each, which are basically rigid andin each case have to be attached together in their erected position bymeans of special rocking elements. These stays give the tent afrusto-pyramidal shape, with a flat upper roof portion which is notconnected with the tent cloth except at the internal, bottom ends of thestays. The stay sections adjoining the central member, arelongitudinally displaceable in sockets and secured by means of pinchboltconnections, a coil compression spring associated with each stay sectionfunctioning to tension the erected supported framework.

The erection of the above-described known tent is a laborious and timeconsuming procedure, and is additionally complicated by the fact thatthe tent cloth does not naturally follow the movement of the stays.Consequently, the erection and dismantling of the tent generallyrequires two people. Furthermore, the extremely heavy supportingframework in the folded state occupies a considerable amount of space,and is expensive to manufacture.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or to mitigatethese difficulties.

The tent of the present invention has a folding supporting framework anda tent cloth forming a roof portion, the tent having a closableentrance. The supporting framework comprises stays together with aclamping device for such stays, the stays leading down to the basecorners of the tent and being articulated to a central member. When thetent is erected the central member supports the center of the roof; thestays have bottom sections which can be folded outwards into an extendedposition in line with the respective upper stay sections. The stays,which give the tent a polygonal form in plan, such form beingsubstantially hemispherical. The stays comprise two sections and formelastically flexible spring bars or rods of identical length which, attheir bottom ends at the bottom corners of the tent, project beyond thetent cloth. The roof portion of the tent cloth is attached to thecentral member of the supporting framework, and is also attached at itsbottom edge and at intermediate points to the stays. The clamping deviceconsists of a slide which can be vertically displaced relatively to thecentral member and can be locked in an upper clamping position in whichthe stays are deflected outwards by means of yokes between the slide andthe upper stay sections.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, when the tent isdesigned with a tent cloth consisting of a roof portion and a floorportion attached thereto, the floor portion of the tent cloth is sewedto the roof portion thereof at a location spaced from the bottom edge ofthe stays passing through the tent cloth to the outside.

A tent in accordance with the invention obviates or mitigates thedifficulties of the prior art in a way which is as simple as it is neat,the tent cloth and the structure being combined into a tent unit whoseerection and dismantling each takes no more than seconds. The roofportion of the tent cloth, during the unfolding and folding operations;follows the stay sections which are tensioned and relaxed by theclamping device and are simply locked and unlocked, during which it isinsured that the tent cloth is able to follow the bowing of the stays.This also applies to a tent with a floor, because of the special methodof attachment of the floor.

The simplicity and ease of handling of the tent go hand-in-hand with alow weight and a relatively low production cost. Furthermore, the tentcan be folded up to form an extremely small. package and can easily becarried in a rucksack. Accordingly, apart from its use for conventionalcamping purposes, and because it combines low weight, low cost, quickerection and dismantling and a compact volume when folded for transport,the tent is particularly useful for expeditions, folding boat trips,cycling tours, weekend trips and similar applications where a tent isrequired, for overnight stops, as weather protection and/or asprotection against the sun.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention will now bedescribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective ofa tent inaccordance with the invention, the tent being in the erected condition;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view in side elevation of the tent shown in FIG.1, the tent being partially folded; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the tent similar to FIG. 2, the tent being fullyfolded.

The tent illustrated herein consists essentially of a tent cloth with asubstantially hemispherically cut roof portion 1, a polygonal floorportion 2 permanently sewed on or into the roof portion 1, and asupporting framework 3 which can be folded (FIG. 3) or unfolded (FIG.1).

In the erected condition shown in FIG. 1, the tent has the approximateform of a hemisphere with a polygonal in plan shape. However, the tentcould equally well be given the shape of an oval body, by altering thecut of the roof portion, without modifying the supporting framework.

The supporting framework 3 here shown comprises eight stays 5, each ofwhich consists of two sections 5a and 5b which are of substantially thesame length, and are made from elastically flexible spring bars or rods.The upper stay sections 5a are hinged at their top ends to a centralmember 4 (designed along the lines of an umbrella) of the supportingframework 3 in such a fashion that they be pivoted in a limited rangeand can be deployed, from a folded inoperative condition (FIG. 3) inwhich they are substantially parallel to the axis of the central member4, into a radial outward-extending operative position (FIG. 1). Theupper stay sections 5a are hinged to the bottom stay sections 5b byhinges 9 which make it possible to fold the bottom stay sections 5boutwardly from the extended position shown in FIG. 1, in which they formextensions of the respective one of the upper stay sections 5a, into aposition in which they are parallel to the upper stay sections 5a, asshown in FIG. 3.

The central member 4 forms the top end of a relatively short pole 8which can be provided at its lower end with an extension 8a. Thisextension 8a can be releasably attached to the pole 8, e.g. by means(not shown) which may be for example, a screw fitting or a bayonetconnection. A slide 7 can be slid vertically relatively to such member4; bracing elements 6 are hinged to sleeve 7 at their inner ends.Bracing elements 6 are in the form of a rod which, through a fork end,are articulated by means of hinges 10 substantially to the center partof respective upper stay sections 5a. In its upper, locked position, theslide 7 can be retained on the pole 8, near the bottom end of thelatter, by means of a schematically illustrated locking element whichengages a detent recess in the pole 8. Such locking element may have asa component part thereof a pushbutton 11 by which it may be operated.

The roof portion 1 of the tent cloth is affixed to the central member 4of the supporting framework 3, and is attached at its bottom edge to thebottom ends of the stays 5. This attachment can be of limited elasticityin order to permit small relative movements to take place, e.g. by theinclusion of a small series connected rubber loop not shown.Furthermore, the roof portion 1 is secured to the stays 5 at severalpoints to the bottom ends thereof and the central member 4, so that saidroof portion 1 of the tent cloth follows the movements of the staysections 5a and 5b when the supporting framework 3 is unfolded andfolded. The bottom ends of the stays 5 project beyond the bottom edge ofthe roof portion 1 of the tent cloth for a short distance; on the bottomends of the stays 5 rings 12 pass through holes in the tent cloth. Tentpegs can be introduced into rings 12 in order to anchor the tent to theground.

If the tent is designed with a tent cloth in which the roofportion 1, asin the illustrated example, is united to a floor portion 2, then thebottom ends of the stays 5 pass through the tent cloth to the outside,and the floor portion 2 is sewed to the roof portion at a locationspaced from the bottom edge of the roof portion. With this design, thefloor portion 2 extends from the seam joining it to the roof portion 1,in a downward direction when the tent is in the erected condition, thefloor portion then resting on the surface upon which the tent has beenerected. Consequently, the floor is not tensioned when the tent iserected, but through the agency of its outer edge portion, rising fromthe ground level to the level of the seam connecting portions 1 and 2,provides facility for compensation when the stay sections are foldedtogether. This purpose is also served, in the embodiment of the tentwhich has a sewn-in floor, by the passage of the bottom ends of thestays through the tent cloth.

In the roof portion 1 of the tent cloth, between two stays 5, there isan entrance 14 which can be closed by means of a fastener 13 such as azipper. The top area of the roof portion 1 of the tent cloth alsocontains a ventilation flap or opening 15 between two stays 5.

The erecting of the tent, commencing with the completely folded positionof the parts shown in FIG. 3 is carried out as follows:

First of all, the bottom stay section 5b complete with the roof portion1 and floor portion 2 of the tent cloth secured to them are foldedoutwardly in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2, which shows anintermediate position of the parts of the tent. In this intermediateposition, the person erecting the tent can pass his arm through theentrance 14 into the interior of the tent, and, using a single movement,slide the sleeve 7 along the pole extension 8a upwards into its upperlocking position and lock it there. As a consequence of this movement ofthe slide, the upper sections 5a of the stays are folded upwards bymeans of the hinged braces 6, and are moved into the extended positionvis-a-vis the bottom stay sections 5b which are connected thereto byhinges 9. Thereafter, with continuing upward movement of the slide 7towards the central member 4, the stays 5 are bowed outwards throughouttheir full lengths. This condition is shown in FIG. 1.

In the position in which the stays are bowed out, thus defining thespace of the tent, the hinges 9 are disposed past their dead centerposition, thus insuring, in association with the action of the braces 6,that the stays 5 are reliably stably fixed in shape. As soon as thelocking element of the slide, e.g. a locking extension on the lockingpushbutton 11, has engaged in the detent recess in the pole 8, theoverall tent is statically stiffened and its erection is completed. Theextension section 8a of the pole, which facilitates the tensioning andrelaxing of the supporting framework 3, can be removed in order to givethe tent an unobstructed interior. After erection of the tent in thisway, the tent can be secured to the ground by means of tent pegs inassociation with the rings 12 at the projecting ends of the stays 5, andalso additionally so secured, if required, by means of tent ropes whosetent ends are in each case attached to the stays 5, for example at thelevel of the hinges 9 while their other ends are attached to the groundby means of rings and tent pegs (not shown).

The tent is dismantled, commencing from the tensioned erected stateillustrated in FIG. 1, by following the reverse sequence of operations.By unlocking the slide 7 and moving it down, the supporting framework 3is relaxed and its component parts are displaced into the intermediateposition shown in FIG. 2. The bottom stay sections 5b are now folded,commencing from the position shown in FIG. 2, whereupon any air stillremaining inside the tent is expressed by pressing or rolling ittogether into the condition shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the tent caneasily be slid into a packing bag and is thus ready for transportationand for subsequent re-use.

The stays 5 or stay sections 5a, 5b, which are made of spring material,can, for example, be made of roundsection wire, or equally well ofprofiled rods, e.g. U- section rods. If made of spring steel, forexample, the stays are extraordinarily light and neat, but neverthelessimpart high stability of shape to the tensioned erected tent, because ofthe tension in the supporting framework. Instead of the eight staysillustrated, it is possible to use 6, 7, 9 or more. Eight stays,however, has been found to be a particularly suitable number from thepoint of view of manufacturing cost, weight, foldability and otherfactors. The hinges 9 can take the form of simple punched sheet metalpressings. The tent cloth can be made of any material suitable forapplication to tents, and normally, and indeed preferably, has a certaindegree of elasticity in order that it will not interfere with thefolding movements of the stay sections and on the other hand, in theerected condition, to present a smooth, creasefree and pleasingappearance. Instead of the pole 8, which in the illustrated example isfixed to the central member 4, it is also possible to employ acorrespondingly short pole to the slide 7,

which in this case is secured in the slide 8, extend upwards therefrom,and can be locked at its upper end to the central member 4.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to aplurality of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be expresslyunderstood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such aplurality of preferred embodiments, but is capable of numerousmodifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A tent having a folding supporting framework and a tent cloth forminga roof portion and a floor portion integral with said roof portion, thesupporting framework comprising a central member and stays together witha clamping device for them, the stays leading down to the base cornersof the tent and being articulated to the central member, the centralmember supporting the center of the roof when the tent is erected, thestays having upper and bottom sections, the bottom sections of the staysbeing foldable outwards to an inline extended position with respect tothe respective upper stay sections, the extended sections of the staysgiving the tent a polygonal plan form of substantially hemisphericalshape, the two sections of the stays being formed'of elasticallyflexible spring rods of substan tially identical length, the bottomsections of the stays at their bottom ends projecting beyond the tentcloth at the bottom corners of the tent in both the erected and foldedconditions, the roof portion of the tent cloth being attached to thecentral member of the supporting framework and also, at its bottom edgeand at intermediate points, to the stays, braces between the slide andthe upper sections of the stays, and the clamping device comprising aslide which can be vertically displaced relatively to the central memberand locked in an upper clamping position in which the stays aredeflected outwards by means of said braces between the slide and theupper stay sections, said floor portion is attached to said roofportion, and said floor portion is sewed to the roof portion of the tentcloth at a location spaced from the bottom edge of said roof portion,the section of the floor portion which is spaced from the bottom edge ofsaid roof portion follows the general contour of the roof portion andextends upwardly from the ground surface when the tent is fully erected,the bottom ends of the stays passing to the outside through the tentcloth.

2. A tent as claimed in claim 1, in which the ends of each of the stayswhich are outside the tent cloth are equipped with a ring for attachmentof the tent to the ground.

3. A'tent as claimed in claim 1, in which the central member forms thetop end of a short pole provided with a detachable extension that can belocked to said short pole.

4. A tent as claimed in claim 1, having one or more ventilation flapsprovided in the roof portion of the tent cloth.

5. A tent as claimed in claim 1, comprising a closable entrance throughthe tent cloth.

6. A tent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the closable entrance isdisposed between two successive stays.

1. A tent having a folding supporting framework and a tent cloth forminga roof portion and a floor portion integral with said roof portion, thesupporting framework comprising a central member and stays together witha clamping device for them, the stays leading down to the base cornersof the tent and being articulated to the central member, the centralmember supporting the center of the roof when the tent is eRected, thestays having upper and bottom sections, the bottom sections of the staysbeing foldable outwards to an in-line extended position with respect tothe respective upper stay sections, the extended sections of the staysgiving the tent a polygonal plan form of substantially hemisphericalshape, the two sections of the stays being formed of elasticallyflexible spring rods of substantially identical length, the bottomsections of the stays at their bottom ends projecting beyond the tentcloth at the bottom corners of the tent in both the erected and foldedconditions, the roof portion of the tent cloth being attached to thecentral member of the supporting framework and also, at its bottom edgeand at intermediate points, to the stays, braces between the slide andthe upper sections of the stays, and the clamping device comprising aslide which can be vertically displaced relatively to the central memberand locked in an upper clamping position in which the stays aredeflected outwards by means of said braces between the slide and theupper stay sections, said floor portion is attached to said roofportion, and said floor portion is sewed to the roof portion of the tentcloth at a location spaced from the bottom edge of said roof portion,the section of the floor portion which is spaced from the bottom edge ofsaid roof portion follows the general contour of the roof portion andextends upwardly from the ground surface when the tent is fully erected,the bottom ends of the stays passing to the outside through the tentcloth.
 2. A tent as claimed in claim 1, in which the ends of each of thestays which are outside the tent cloth are equipped with a ring forattachment of the tent to the ground.
 3. A tent as claimed in claim 1,in which the central member forms the top end of a short pole providedwith a detachable extension that can be locked to said short pole.
 4. Atent as claimed in claim 1, having one or more ventilation flapsprovided in the roof portion of the tent cloth.
 5. A tent as claimed inclaim 1, comprising a closable entrance through the tent cloth.
 6. Atent as claimed in claim 5, wherein the closable entrance is disposedbetween two successive stays.